To add a logo and channel name to a 24/7 YouTube cartoon stream in OBS, place the cartoon, an image logo and a text label in the same scene. Put the logo and text above the cartoon in the source order, position them in the preview, and check the actual YouTube output before relying on the stream.
The overlay is part of your OBS scene, not an item YouTube adds for you. A clear layout also needs to work against changing colours and movement in the cartoon, at the resolution viewers actually receive.
Prepare a logo and channel name
Start with the two elements you intend to show: an image file for the logo and the exact channel name you want viewers to read. Keep the name short enough to fit comfortably beside or below the mark. If the channel name is long, consider using the logo in one corner and the name in a separate line rather than shrinking the text until it is difficult to read.
Use a logo file with a transparent background if you want the cartoon to show around its shape. A solid background can work too, but it will appear as a rectangle unless the image itself has transparency. Inspect the file before adding it: check that it is the right version, that the edges are clean, and that the colours remain distinct from the cartoon. OBS does not supply a logo for your channel; you provide the image asset.
Choose a simple placement before you open the scene. A corner is often less intrusive than the centre, but cartoons may place dialogue, characters or captions near the edges. Watch a representative part of the video and note where important action tends to occur. Do not assume that one corner is empty throughout a loop.
Keep a copy of the original image somewhere you can find again. If you move or rename a local logo file after setting up an OBS scene, check that OBS can still locate it. A missing image source can leave the stream without the mark even though the scene itself remains selected.
The name in the overlay should match the channel identity you want viewers to recognise. Check spelling, capitalisation and any punctuation before setting the text source. That small review is easier before a continuous broadcast than after you notice an error in the live player.
Add cartoon playback to an OBS scene
Create or select the scene that will carry the continuous cartoon. Add the playback source you already use for the video, then confirm that the picture appears in the OBS preview and that its proportions are correct. The overlay work depends on this source being present as the background layer.
OBS labels and controls can change between versions, so use the current interface rather than relying on an old screenshot. The essential arrangement is the same: the cartoon is one source, the logo is another, and the channel name is a third. YouTube describes encoder-based live streams as supporting overlays, and identifies OBS as open-source streaming software in its encoder streaming guidance.
If the cartoon is a local file or another playback source, make sure it behaves as expected before building the finished scene around it. Start playback, seek or restart if needed, and confirm that the picture is not cropped in an unintended way. For a stream that loops or changes scenes, look at the places where the image changes: the logo and name should remain part of every scene where you expect them to appear.
A single carefully arranged scene is easier to inspect than several near-identical scenes. If your production does need multiple scenes, add the overlay elements to each relevant scene or use a shared arrangement supported by your setup, then verify each one. Do not assume an overlay is automatically copied to every scene just because it is visible in the current preview.
For a longer-running channel, consider the operating method separately from the overlay design. Running OBS locally means the computer and its playback setup have to stay available for the broadcast. If you are also planning a continuous prerecorded stream, this guide to running a 24/7 YouTube ambient music radio channel covers wider planning considerations; the scene-layer steps here still apply to the visual layout you create in OBS.
Add the logo image source
Add an image source to the scene and point it to your prepared logo file. The source should appear in the preview. If it does not, check the selected file and whether the image source is enabled and visible in the source list. Exact menu names depend on the OBS version, so confirm the labels in the interface you are using rather than treating any particular click path as universal.
Resize the logo in the preview while keeping its shape proportional. Avoid stretching it wider or taller than its original form; distortion can make a familiar mark look careless. Start at a modest size, then assess whether the important details survive at the output resolution. If the logo contains fine lettering, it may not be readable when reduced, even if the full-size file looks sharp on your computer.
Place it away from the edge by a small visual margin so it does not feel clipped. Leave enough room for the player controls and for any elements that may appear in the video itself. A logo flush against the frame can be cut off by cropping or appear cramped on a viewer’s screen. Use the preview’s guides or alignment aids if available, but judge the final margin by eye as well.
If the logo looks too busy over the cartoon, try a simpler version of the artwork or a position with a calmer background. Increasing its size is not always the answer: it can compete with the animation and obscure more of the picture. The goal is to make it identifiable without turning it into the main event.
Add and position channel-name text
Add a text source and enter the channel name exactly as you want it displayed. Choose a typeface and weight that remain clear at small sizes. A decorative font may suit the channel’s identity, but legibility matters more than matching an elaborate style. Avoid very thin strokes, tight letter spacing or a long line squeezed into a narrow corner.
Place the text near the logo only if the two elements read as a single unit and do not take over the frame. You could put the name below the mark, beside it, or on a restrained background panel. Make sure the layout has breathing room: letters should not touch the logo, frame edge or important cartoon details.
Check the text against light and dark parts of the animation. A pale name can disappear over a bright sky; a dark name can disappear over a shadow. A subtle outline, shadow or solid backing may help, if your current OBS text-source options provide it, but inspect the result rather than applying effects by habit. Too many decorative treatments can make small text harder to read.
Use a preview that reflects the stream’s intended canvas. If the output is scaled or cropped differently from the scene canvas, the text may end up smaller or closer to an edge than it appeared during setup. YouTube’s guidance on encoder settings and resolutions is a useful reference when you are checking that your output choices suit the stream; it does not determine whether a particular logo is legible.
Set source order and size
In OBS, sources are layered. The cartoon needs to sit behind the logo and channel name; otherwise it can cover them. Check the source list and move the image and text above the playback source. If the text is meant to sit on a background panel, order those layers deliberately too: the panel should be behind the text but in front of the cartoon.
| Scene element | Place it in the order | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cartoon playback | Behind the overlay | The full intended picture is visible and not unexpectedly cropped |
| Logo image | Above the cartoon | It is visible, correctly proportioned and not covering key action |
| Channel-name text | Above the cartoon | The full name is readable and does not collide with the logo |
| Optional backing panel | Above the cartoon, behind text | It improves contrast without hiding too much of the scene |
The table describes the visual order, not a required set of OBS menu commands. If the logo or name disappears when you add or reorder a source, check whether it is hidden, below an opaque source, or positioned outside the canvas. Locking a source after positioning it can prevent accidental movement while you adjust another element, if that control is available in your version.
Size is a compromise between recognition and obstruction. A logo that occupies a large portion of the frame may be easy to spot but can hide expressions or action. A small name preserves the cartoon but can become unreadable on a phone. Compare both elements at the actual output size, not only while the OBS preview is enlarged on your monitor.
If the cartoon has scene changes, transitions or a loop with different compositions, check more than one moment. A placement that works over a plain background may land on a character’s face in the next shot. Moving the overlay away from a predictable area of the picture can help, but there is no single corner that suits every cartoon.
Check readability over the cartoon
Play through representative sections and look at the overlay as a viewer would. Check a bright frame, a dark frame, a busy frame and a scene transition. The logo should remain recognisable, and the channel name should be readable without demanding close attention. If you have to pause and zoom in to make out the letters, simplify or enlarge the text, improve contrast, or reconsider its position.
Check that the overlay does not obscure captions, dialogue cues or a central character. If the cartoon contains its own text, your channel name should not be mistaken for part of that content. Keep the style restrained enough that a viewer can tell which parts belong to the programme and which are channel identification.
Then view the composition at a smaller size, such as the size of a typical browser player on your screen or a phone preview. This is a practical check, not a guarantee that every device displays the stream identically. Different screens, player sizes and stream processing can affect how details look. YouTube also processes live video for delivery; OBS Project’s transcoding notes explain the general background to video transcoding, but they do not certify the appearance of your specific stream.
Look for clipping on all sides. The logo must not be cut by the frame, and the name should not wrap or be truncated. If text is close to the edge, move it inward. If you use a background panel, check that it does not cover more of the cartoon than intended. Make one change at a time so you can see whether the adjustment actually improved the composition.
Finally, check the overlay after any scene or source change you expect to make during normal operation. An OBS layout can look right in one scene and be absent in another. If you use a playlist or intro and outro, confirm the name and logo remain visible where you want them; this guide to playing an intro and outro around a looping YouTube live video playlist discusses that neighbouring workflow.
Verify the result on YouTube
An OBS preview confirms the scene composition, but it does not prove that the audience-facing stream looks the same. Connect OBS to the YouTube stream you intend to use, then inspect the preview in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room before relying on it. YouTube’s instructions explain how to provide the encoder with a stream URL and stream key in its live stream settings guidance. Treat the key as private: YouTube describes it as the password and address for the stream, so do not publish or share it casually.
When possible, test with an unlisted stream before a public broadcast. Look at the YouTube player rather than only the OBS preview. Confirm the logo and name are both present, positioned as expected and readable at the player size. Also check that the cartoon is moving as expected and that audio is present and appropriate. YouTube recommends testing and checking stream quality in its live streaming tips.
Review the stream health information in YouTube Studio before leaving the broadcast to run. If the picture stutters, the connection drops, or the output is scaled unexpectedly, resolve those issues before treating the setup as finished. The overlay cannot correct a source, connection or encoding problem. If you need to troubleshoot a stream that fails to start or reconnect, this article on what to check when a YouTube radio livestream shows offline after reconnecting covers a related operational problem.
For a continuous channel, separate visual verification from continuity planning. OBS can prepare and send the scene, but a local setup still depends on the computer and the rest of your operating arrangement remaining available. If keeping that computer running is the part that makes an overnight broadcast difficult, StreamNeo lets you upload a video and connect a YouTube stream key so the broadcast can continue with your computer switched off; it is YouTube-only and does not design or validate your overlay.
Do not assume that a continuous event will be preserved as a complete archive. YouTube’s encoder guidance says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; that does not establish the same outcome for a 24-hour broadcast. Check YouTube’s current archive guidance if keeping a recording matters, and consider a separate recording or planned segments rather than relying on an assumption.
A software layout does not establish that you have permission to broadcast a cartoon. Confirm that you have the necessary rights for the specific video, music and other material you plan to use, and check YouTube’s current rules. The overlay is a visual production choice, not a rights clearance or a promise of channel approval.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Does YouTube add a logo to my OBS stream?
No. You add the logo image and channel-name text as sources in your OBS scene. YouTube can receive an encoder stream that already contains those visual elements, but it does not create the channel logo for you.
Why can I see the logo in OBS but not on YouTube?
Check that the logo source is visible and above the cartoon in the scene’s source order, then inspect the actual YouTube preview. Also confirm that you are streaming the scene you edited and that the image file is still available to OBS. A preview in one scene does not mean the overlay is present in every scene.
Should the logo and channel name appear in every scene?
That depends on your layout, but do not assume OBS adds them automatically across scenes. Add or arrange the sources wherever they are needed, then inspect each relevant scene and transition. A short test can reveal an overlay that disappears when playback changes.
Will OBS keep a 24/7 stream running by itself?
A correct scene does not guarantee continuous operation. A local broadcast depends on the computer, connection and stream setup remaining available, so test the full arrangement and monitor YouTube’s stream health. If preserving the whole broadcast matters, check YouTube’s current archive behaviour rather than assuming a 24-hour stream will be saved in full.